It Worked!

Not to mention nine pounds thinner than I was on September 3 when I first began the adventure of the Wu Food Project.

This photo was snapped last Monday night at a rehearsal for Michael Ching’s upcoming operapella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Talk about a dream–the Wu Food Project has thus far exceeded all of my hopes– I say “hopes” because when I began I harbored no expectations, for even though it seemed like a rational plan, my past attempts to eat healthy and lose weight had not met with much success.

The point of the Wu Food Project was to change my eating habits, develop new dining behaviors, and in the process, possibly lose five pounds.

I’m completely amazed. Astonished. I myself would not have dreamed this would happen. Not once have I been hungry, and never have I been bored or disinterested in the meals…well, okay, at first I did not find the bowl of oatmeal particularly alluring, but now I find it quite fetching.

In addition to feeling full and not miserably deprived of enjoyable dishes (which admittedly are normal feelings that had gotten twisted up by my efforts to diet), I have had misgivings regarding a couple of things that I knew I ought to be doing– such as eating dinner before 7 p.m. That’s something I’d really like to accomplish in the coming month.

In addition–and this is another apres work issue–I have failed to keep up with the exercise/activity level that is appropriate for a) health, and b) to lose weight.

Mr. Wu runs eight miles a week–he says it feels good–to which my knees reply, “Ouch ouch ouch.” Just the same, I am capable of being a mighty and steadfast walker–given the time to do it. It’s ironic and maddening that just as it becomes cooler–it starts getting dark earlier. Grrrr. This intensifies the effect of my time deficit.

Somehow this month I have to figure this out. It may be back to the gym for some round ball–an oddly comforting and enjoyable activity. I’ll explain how this program works in a later entry, if I can summon up the gumption to get out there and go after it.

Suffice it to say that this has been one whammo great birthday. I got to spend it with my boys and my mom, with friends, and with Mr. Wu for both a birthday lunch AND a birthday supper. I was even able to go on a walk and read the paper.

And I got my birthday wish. You only roll double nickels on your birthday once in your life, so I celebrated my good luck today with a morning drive through McDonald’s and ordered–oh yeah, you know it, baby– a medium cup of coffee, five creams and two splendas.

It was good, but not as good as I remembered. I’ve made a decision to continue on with the Wu Food Project for another month.